Country singer Tracy Byrd never intended to become a singer. That’s one of the many facts people knew about him.
He never joined a band or choir in his entire stay in the Texas public school system, and he chose to study Business when he got into university — but one moment changed the trajectory of his life forever. A friend of his coaxed him into doing a cover of Hank Williams Sr’s “Your Cheatin’ Heart” at a local mall recording studio, and the owner of that same studio was so impressed that he entered him into a talent contest. And well, we know how that story ended: with a record deal and a music career.
But did you know Byrd is more than just a country music artist?
Byrd The Outdoorsman
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Tracy Byrd’s first love was the outdoors, specifically fishing and hunting – two things his grandmother, Maris Vaughn, taught him as a young kid. And that never changed.
The singer was two when he caught his first fish with her, a little old bass. He had a short brush rod and a little old shiner, white perch fishing when he luckily made a catch. Then, he shot his first squirrel at five with a single-shot .410 gauge shotgun. When he started going to school, he would still go and spend time at his Nana’s house fishing and hunting.
There was even a point during his high school days when he thought about pursuing a professional career as a bass fisherman. While that didn’t pan out, he still likes to fish for bass, redfish, and trout along the coast of Texas. As for hunting, he hasn’t stopped that, too. His favorites are squirrels, deer, ducks, and turkeys.
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He even reeled his dad into his hobbies. According to the singer, his dad fished and hunted a little but never got into it until he piqued his interest. And now, his old man has a house on the Texas bass lake, Sam Rayburn. He also started taking his four-year-old daughter fishing.
Byrd The TV Host
Byrd’s love for the outdoors also opened up opportunities for him. In 1998, at the time of the release of his fifth studio album, I’m from the Country, he was recruited as the TV host of TNN Outdoors’ Weekend Outdoor Broadcast. He held that job for three years, and one of his most memorable outings was with his grandmother on her first wild turkey hunt.
Byrd The Philanthropist
Aside from the outdoors, Byrd also has a big heart for helping people. His annual “The Tracy Byrd Homecoming Weekend,” a mix of golfing, fishing, and music, held in Southeast Texas, was for the benefit of local charities.
The singer also created a crankbait fishing lure called “The Lifestyles Of The Not So Rich & Famous” (named after his hit recording), which donates ten cents to the Special Olympics International for the Country Music Association for every lure sold. And then there’s his “Tracy Byrd’s Tiny Town Products,” a line of spices, rubs, and marinades, donating five cents from each sale to the Children’s Miracle Network. The products aligned with his published book, “Eat Like a Byrd: The Tracy Byrd Cookbook.”
We hope you learned more about Tracy Byrd with these facts! And if this article made you more curious about him, then you should definitely check out these Tracy Byrd songs.
